Author Topic: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...  (Read 126819 times)

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cru

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #820 on: September 10, 2010, 07:10:12 AM »
Q211 Anyone got any good links or advice for a Planar Shepherd's magical beast shape ability?
re-post.
I seem to recall that magical beast shape isn't really too overwhelming. Other features of Planar Shepherd are.

It certainly isn't the most powerful ability that the Planar Shepherd gets, no. But on the other hand, it's an ability that enhances the versatility of a Druid's Wild Shape without smashing the whole concept of DnD into tiny, microscopic bits (I'm looking at you, Planar Bubble with time traits).

There doesn't seem to be any focus on the non-incomprehensibly broken abilities of this class. Unless someone can point out a Planar Shepherd Handbook, I'm probably just going to write one.

For instance, just from the the MM, some great forms that aren't really ever mentioned are Ropers, with 6 touch attacks that have a Str damage poison of 2d8; the Androsphinx with flight, pounce, rake and decent stats; goddamn hyrda because it's a hydra (fast healing is (Ex); the Spider Eater for a poison with a secondary damage of Paralysis measured in weeks... You get the idea.

Planar Shepherd doesn't have to be a class that has infinite time-stop at level 10.

Edit: Right.... http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19871574/The_Planar_Shepherd_Handbook?pg=1   Google is my friend.
  • Roper seems pretty good.
  • Androsphinx does fill a niche, fly+pounce, but maneuverability is poor and attacks are weak for lvl 12.
  • Hydra is huge, i.e. you can access that at lvl 15. The attacks are great. Fast healing is great as well, requires Enhance Wild Shape of course.
  • Spirit Eater could be occasionally useful, but never in combat, because you have to wait 10 rounds for the secondary damage.
Anyway, I guess there have to exist some decent magical beasts, but nothing overwhelming. Animals offer decent mobility as well and often better attacks. I guess with Enhance Wild Shape spell, you can get more from magical beasts.

Tricky thing with magical beasts is also that they look better than they are, because they have better BAB than animals and druids; however you don't get their BAB.

Most importantly, RAW, you cannot wild shape into any of the forms you mentioned, because ECS does not mention them as native to the Eberron planes. Also, you will probably want to pick a plane with either decent high-end outsider forms or a plane with decent manifest effect. Chances are that on that plane dwell only few interesting magical beasts.

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #821 on: September 10, 2010, 07:10:52 AM »
Q 247 I'm confused on how the Druid spell Miasma works, even after reading the errata. It says "To avoid suffocating, it must hold its breath by making a Constitution check vs. DC 10 + 1 per previous success." What previous success?
On the Constitution check. That is, whenever you make a Con check against suffocation, the DC increases by one, cumulatively.
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kevin_video

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #822 on: September 10, 2010, 07:14:13 AM »
Q 247 I'm confused on how the Druid spell Miasma works, even after reading the errata. It says "To avoid suffocating, it must hold its breath by making a Constitution check vs. DC 10 + 1 per previous success." What previous success?
On the Constitution check.
From where and when though? That's where I get confused. You don't make Con checks until after you fail your Fort save. Then you start making Con checks until the spell runs out at 3 rounds/level. So is the first round DC 10+1 because you didn't make a Con check and therefore it's +0, and if you made it by 3 the following round it's DC 10+1+3 for 14, and so on and so forth?
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The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #823 on: September 10, 2010, 07:16:59 AM »
It's referencing the general rules for holding your breath

So if you hold your breath for one round, your DC is now 11, for two rounds it's 12, et cetera.
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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #824 on: September 10, 2010, 07:18:07 AM »
It's referencing the general rules for holding your breath

So if you hold your breath for one round, your DC is now 11, for two rounds it's 12, et cetera.
Okay, I get it now.
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Takanaki

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #825 on: September 10, 2010, 10:08:10 AM »
Q248: Is there any way to trick an item into thinking your Int is your Wisdom for gaining an AC bonus (Monks Belt), or any class feature/feat/cheese which lets you use Int to AC somehow?

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #826 on: September 10, 2010, 10:32:40 AM »
Q248: Is there any way to trick an item into thinking your Int is your Wisdom for gaining an AC bonus (Monks Belt), or any class feature/feat/cheese which lets you use Int to AC somehow?
A 248

The feats Carmendine Monk and Kung-Fu Genius beoth let you replace your Wis with your Int for purposes of the Monk's bonus to AC. The latter can be taken even without Monk levels (it just doesn't do anything if you don't have Wis to AC), so if you take that feat and wear a Monk's Belt, you're set. It's from Dragon Compendium, IIRC.
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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #827 on: September 10, 2010, 10:59:03 AM »
Q249: Is there a feat that gives Int to Fort Saves hiding somewhere?  I know there is various ones for Cha, Will, Dex, Int for Will, Ref, ect.. and there is the Faerie Mysteries that gives Int for HP.  Just looking to be able to completely dump Con. 
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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #828 on: September 10, 2010, 11:51:51 AM »
Q 247 I'm confused on how the Druid spell Miasma works, even after reading the errata. It says "To avoid suffocating, it must hold its breath by making a Constitution check vs. DC 10 + 1 per previous success." What previous success?
Previous success at holding its breath. This is for rounds beyond the 1st. On the first, the DC is only 10. If you fail... well you won't be holding your breath anymore. You'll be suffocating.
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PhaedrusXY

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #829 on: September 10, 2010, 11:54:26 AM »
Q249: Is there a feat that gives Int to Fort Saves hiding somewhere?  I know there is various ones for Cha, Will, Dex, Int for Will, Ref, ect.. and there is the Faerie Mysteries that gives Int for HP.  Just looking to be able to completely dump Con. 
I don't know of a way to do that, no.

You could instead take Martial Study (Mind Over Body) (might need to check the names on these...). Then you can substitute a Concentration check for a Fort save once per encounter.
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
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Sohala

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #830 on: September 10, 2010, 12:21:39 PM »
A246
No animal companion for that one, it is a magical beast. I agree with it being close to a pseudodragon for a familiar though.

Q250
Knowledge Devotion requires "Knowledge (any) 5 ranks". Can that be, knowledge (arcana) 5 and/or knowledge (arcana) 1, knowledge (history) 1, knowledge (local) 1, knowledge (nature) 1, knowledge (religion) 1?
« Last Edit: September 10, 2010, 02:04:32 PM by Sohala »
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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #831 on: September 10, 2010, 02:07:28 PM »
I'd think since you don't have 5 ranks in any Knowledge skill, the latter wouldn't work, but I don't have any explicit RAW to that effect.
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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #832 on: September 10, 2010, 02:20:12 PM »
Q251: How do I make a hyperlink with a label on this forum? I don't want the hyperlink to say the URL, I want it to be a word/phrase of my choosing.
Nevermind, I figured it out with trial and error.
« Last Edit: September 10, 2010, 02:22:34 PM by BeholderSlayer »
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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #833 on: September 10, 2010, 02:22:57 PM »
Q251: How do I make a hyperlink with a label on this forum? I don't want the hyperlink to say the URL, I want it to be a word/phrase of my choosing.
Use (url=www.whatever.com)WORDS(/url)

replacing the parentheses () with brackets []
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PhaedrusXY

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #834 on: September 10, 2010, 02:41:02 PM »
A246
No animal companion for that one, it is a magical beast. I agree with it being close to a pseudodragon for a familiar though.

Q250
Knowledge Devotion requires "Knowledge (any) 5 ranks". Can that be, knowledge (arcana) 5 and/or knowledge (arcana) 1, knowledge (history) 1, knowledge (local) 1, knowledge (nature) 1, knowledge (religion) 1?
Pretty sure they meant you have to have 5 ranks in any one Knowledge skill.
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

The_Mad_Linguist

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #835 on: September 10, 2010, 03:48:34 PM »
By stupidly strict RAW, I think you'd have to have 5 ranks in "knowledge(any)".

Which should grant a +2 synergy bonus to knowledge(computers), since eventually you're going to have to find the any key.
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BruceLeeroy

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #836 on: September 10, 2010, 04:47:51 PM »
Q211 Anyone got any good links or advice for a Planar Shepherd's magical beast shape ability?
re-post.
I seem to recall that magical beast shape isn't really too overwhelming. Other features of Planar Shepherd are.

It certainly isn't the most powerful ability that the Planar Shepherd gets, no. But on the other hand, it's an ability that enhances the versatility of a Druid's Wild Shape without smashing the whole concept of DnD into tiny, microscopic bits (I'm looking at you, Planar Bubble with time traits).

There doesn't seem to be any focus on the non-incomprehensibly broken abilities of this class. Unless someone can point out a Planar Shepherd Handbook, I'm probably just going to write one.

For instance, just from the the MM, some great forms that aren't really ever mentioned are Ropers, with 6 touch attacks that have a Str damage poison of 2d8; the Androsphinx with flight, pounce, rake and decent stats; goddamn hyrda because it's a hydra (fast healing is (Ex); the Spider Eater for a poison with a secondary damage of Paralysis measured in weeks... You get the idea.

Planar Shepherd doesn't have to be a class that has infinite time-stop at level 10.

Edit: Right.... http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19871574/The_Planar_Shepherd_Handbook?pg=1   Google is my friend.
  • Roper seems pretty good.
  • Androsphinx does fill a niche, fly+pounce, but maneuverability is poor and attacks are weak for lvl 12.
  • Hydra is huge, i.e. you can access that at lvl 15. The attacks are great. Fast healing is great as well, requires Enhance Wild Shape of course.
  • Spirit Eater could be occasionally useful, but never in combat, because you have to wait 10 rounds for the secondary damage.
Anyway, I guess there have to exist some decent magical beasts, but nothing overwhelming. Animals offer decent mobility as well and often better attacks. I guess with Enhance Wild Shape spell, you can get more from magical beasts.

Tricky thing with magical beasts is also that they look better than they are, because they have better BAB than animals and druids; however you don't get their BAB.

Most importantly, RAW, you cannot wild shape into any of the forms you mentioned, because ECS does not mention them as native to the Eberron planes. Also, you will probably want to pick a plane with either decent high-end outsider forms or a plane with decent manifest effect. Chances are that on that plane dwell only few interesting magical beasts.


Lammania has all kinds of magical beasts, Daanvi has axiomatic creatures. Either template could be applied to any of those creatures. Another thing that's often overlooked is that Spell Resistance is (Ex), so the Roper form just went from good to omgwtfbbq.

You're right that the options are very limited by RAW. Lammania doesn't even list all types of magical beasts in the entry for native inhabitants, the text supporting that statement is in the fluff section. However, the lists of inhabitants are so small as to boggle the mind. I imagine a DM would work with a player to find magical beasts appropriate to any of the planes, if said DM is going to allow a Planar Shepherd in the first place.

PhaedrusXY

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #837 on: September 10, 2010, 05:05:50 PM »
You can get the best abilities of the Roper with a simple Polymorph spell. No need to be a Planar Shepard. :D
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #838 on: September 10, 2010, 05:12:16 PM »
Q 252 If a thri-kreen's alternate favored class is soulknife in a psionics campaign, how do you go about giving them enough mind blades for all four hands? Shape Mind Blade will enable you to make two short swords.
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Re: Simple Q&A 16: Has Anyone Really Been Far Even As ...
« Reply #839 on: September 10, 2010, 05:58:25 PM »
You can get the best abilities of the Roper with a simple Polymorph spell. No need to be a Planar Shepard. :D

SR 30 is pretty awesome. And it's still only one of the multitude of forms available for a Planar Shepherd. Nothing is stopping you from being a Dire Bear when beating up fighters and then turning into a Roper for some hentai action on the enemy casters.